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A critically acclaimed performer, as well as a member of King Kong Company, SON – aka Susan O’Neill –  is one of Ireland’s brightest emerging talents. The basis of her first album ‘Found Myself Lost’ saw SON find her voice amongst her peers, introducing her unique and otherworldly style.

The album was one of Hot Press magazine’s ‘Albums of the Year’ and garnered her a number of opportunities, including joining Sharon Shannon on her sold out tour of Australia and New Zealand.

The enigmatic singer-songwriter honed her musical skills as one of the youngest members of the Ennis Brass Band and gained her first gospel influences with the ‘Really Truly Joyful Gospel Choir.’ SON has recently been collaborating with multi-platinum, award winning artist, Mick Flannery, whom she recently released a duet, “Baby Talk,” to rave reviews. In promotion of the song,

SON and Flannery have made several late night talk-show appearances as well as having announced joint tour dates. Her solo career as SON has begun to pique critical and industry interest. Eclectically fusing traditional Irish folk with rock, soul, gospel and blues, her live performances are quite simply electrifying. Her husky vocals combined with her superb guitar technique, loop pedals and trumpet, have wowed audiences everywhere from Stradbally to Sydney, Glasgow to Glastonbury, Manhattan to Milwaukee, and many places beyond.

Xylouris White is firmly rooted in the past and future. Playing Cretan music of original and traditional composition, the band consists of Georgios Xylouris on Cretan laouto and vocals and Jim White on drum kit. Xylouris is known and loved by Cretans and Greeks at home and abroad and has been playing professionally from age 12.

Jim White is an Australian drummer known and loved throughout the world as the drummer of Dirty Three, Venom P Stinger and now Xylouris White.

For the last four years these two men have been performing as Xylouris White, the culmination of 25 years of friendship forged through music and place.

Andy Irvine is one of the great Irish singers, his voice one of a handful of truly great ones that gets to the very soul of Ireland. He has been hailed as “a tradition in himself”.

Musician, singer, songwriter, Andy has maintained his highly individual performing skills throughout his over 50-year career.

Andy has been at the helm of legendary bands like Sweeney’s Men in the mid 60s, to the enormous success of Planxty in the 70s, and then Patrick Street, Mozaik, LAPD and recently Usher’s Island. Andy has been a world music pioneer and an icon for traditional music and musicians.

As a soloist, Andy fills the role of the archetypal troubadour with a show and a travelling lifestyle that reflect his lifelong influence, Woody Guthrie. To quote the Irish Times, “Often copied, never equalled”, his repertoire consists of Irish traditional songs, dexterous Balkan dance tunes and a compelling canon of his own self-penned songs.

JOHN SPILLANE SONGWRITING WORKSHOP

4:30pm // €10 // Clonakilty Community Resource Centre , 21 Western Road, Clonakilty. P85 RW35

One of the most accomplished songwriters in the country today, award winning trad/folk poet John Spillane continues to redefine musical boundaries with his own unique style of playing and songwriting which he likes to call ’Sean Nós Blues’.

“At my workshop we write songs. We do not theorise or talk about songwriting but we work, and follow certain steps to make a song. We lock out criticism and negativity and create an atmosphere where people can make something grow.” – John Spillane

A SPECIAL TRADITIONAL IRISH SESSION LIVE-STREAMING WITH AN AUDIENCE FOR CIGF22

One of the few positives from the past three years is the connection that live streaming gave us when we were unable to meet and commune in person.
this year we are delighted to once again Live stream our resident Clonakilty Traditional Irish Musicians live from DeBarras with an audience!
be sure to call in !

At the heart of this popular weekly session are a collection of musicians & songsters, whose combined experiences of performing, locally and internationally, along with their diverse musical interests produce a vibrant, but easy going experience of the best in traditional music & ballads.

Featuring:

Dennis Noonan on Bodhrán & bones sings in a uniquely laid back style, drawing material from his native Dublin as well as Ulster & Scotland. The late Frank Harte would have thrilled at his deliveries of some of the more humourous and bawdy ballads.

Tommy Madden can lay claim to a lifetimes experience playing across the USA, England & Scotland and at venues all over Ireland, Playing with many legendary musicians. His bewildering knowledge of balladry draws on a wide range of material from Europe, America & Australia covering military, humourous, industrial, rural, urban and romantic songs.

Jerry Lombard served his time with some of the greatest musicians ever to play in Ireland, England and America. He has a seemingly endless repertoire of tunes and an equally extensive collection of tales and yarns to entertain one and all. Jerry’s lively playing style matches his attitude to life, music and the Craic.

Ciaran O Connel the driving force on the banjo

Mike Goodwin on the uilleann pipes

ADT writes stories of the heart wrapped in atmospheric soundscapes, and he describes his debut album ‘volume one’ as ‘a painting of emotional honesty.’

Produced by multi-instrumentalist, Justin Grounds, the album was recorded in a little room overlooking the beautiful town of Clonakilty, West Cork, and will be released at this year’s Clonakilty International Guitar Festival.

Hugely influenced by the Atlantic Ocean, the West Cork landscape and his family, ADT admits to a minor obsession with lighthouses. He is also a member of renowned Irish band LOWmountain.

EUGENE BROSNAN 

When singer songwriter and guitarist Eugene Brosnan moved back to Clonakilty in 2015, after an 18 year absence from the place he had called home in the ‘90s, he contacted bassist Martin Kingston and in their first conversation it was mooted that they might get a band together, mainly, as a vehicle for the songs of the late great American songwriter and composer, WARREN ZEVON, as they both share a love for his music.

They soon assembled a group of musicians, with equal enthusiasm for the INNOCENT BYSTANDER project and in the 18 months so far, they have played a number of full house gigs and a handful of festivals. The band has also extended their set to include some original songs that sit happily and snugly among the Headless Thomson Gunners, identity thieving Gorillas and the colours of Georgia O’ Keeffes…

David Christy Jones is a 28-year old songwriter and multi-instrumentalist based in West Cork, Ireland. Born in Wales to a musical family, he found himself surrounded by musicians playing from a young age. At 7 years old he relocated to Clonakilty, Ireland with his family.

On April 17th, 2021 David released his debut album – the nightmarish and one of a kind ‘Welcome To Virology’. Inspired by the blues and folk stars of old; modern contemporary rock and pop; classical music and the avante-garde – he has taken their recipes and added his own distinct flavour. His style is undoubtedly unique and fresh.

Since 2009, David has been an active and respected session drummer, bassist, guitarist, and vocalist and has played with countless acts across all genres. From jazz, blues, and folk to heavy metal, rap, and country. He has performed in many bands over numerous genres and toured in Europe, The UK, and the USA.

What are people saying about Welcome To Virology?

“The debut album by Cork’s David Christy Jones is as colourful and versatile as the new reality we are still trying to cope with. His debut album is a satiric, serious, and nihilist approach on how to survive this madness.”
-Mangorave

“An outstanding mixture of progressive rock, funk, rap and social critique, “Welcome To Virology” is an honest and majestic musical work from Irish eccentric multi-instrumentalist, David Christy Jones. It’s a broad expedition of witty lyrics and unconventional musical composition.” -Lessthan1000followers.com

“This material is an experimental masterpiece by all means.”
-punk-rocker.com”A sound that mixes Funky, Prog Rock and many other musical genres in a unique and original recipe. Lively, innovative songs that manage to keep you on tip of your chair from the first to the last second. A fantastic discovery that I recommend everyone to listen to with an open mind.”
-edgarallenpoets.com

The brilliance of this album is that Jones goes all in. This assuredness and dedication in songwriting is wonderfully refreshing and reaps maximum reward in this instance.
It’s blatantly obvious from this record that we are dealing with an artist who is humming with creative energy and, most importantly, has the conviction to take that creativity to extreme places.
-demarsmagazine.com

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Sam Clague is a musician and songwriter from Clonakilty, Cork. He lives and works in Cork City, playing primarily as a jazz guitarist and also his own unique brand of original music. Jazz and folk influences blend together to make a form of kaleidoscopic chamber music, driven by intricate guitar arrangements and accompanied by psychedelic orchestral sounds. His debut EP “Balloons” was released in 2015 at the Clonakillty International Guitar Festival.

“Sam’s writing is unique. He writes from the heart and creates his own world – his own sound world and lyric world. As well as that his musicianship is beyond reproach – capable of capturing many genres with multi instrumental abilities” – Carl Corcoran (former Presenter of The Blue of the Night)

The Céilí Allstars are an exciting four piece traditional Irish music band.
They formed from a group of friends playing the session trail in Cork city in the late nineties. Their musical style includes shades of Sliabh Luachra – where they originate from – combined with generous sprinklings of folk and country.

They’ve played residencies in Cork’s legendary folk venues the Lobby Bar, Cork and DeBarra’s in Clonakilty. They’re also at home on bigger stages playing at festivals in Ireland, Holland, Italy, Russia and Australia.